Engineering

LTX (Latinx in Tech) 2018 Summit

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Hispanic and Latino Americans are a growing community that nowadays represents between 17% and 18% of the US population. California and Texas have 38.9% and 39.1% of their population represented by the Hispanic community. These two states represent 22.8% of the entire US Gross Domestic Product. With that said, the Latino community has become a very important group in the States, and new generations of Latinx are giving us a new market to talk about. We represent a big silent market that is starting to break that silence and changing the shape of the things from what they were before, especially in technology. At Plastiq, I represent this group. A group that has a voice, a group that is growing in numbers and in importance. I am a Latinx in Tech.

The LTX: Latinx in Tech 2018 Summit was an event that brought together Latinos in technology from around the bay area to the Esports Arena in Oakland. Latinx in Tech was not only an opportunity to get together with great talented people but also a chance to hear their stories. This meeting helped us to hear how our own experiences are shaping our ideas to provide new solutions for the challenges we have not only in the Latino Community but also out of our community. While talking, laughing, shouting and crying we were able to empathize and become one single entity that is ready to succeed and say to the world “Hey, here we are!”.

There were many inspirational talks at this event but I really want to remark on two that spoke to me:

1. Daniel Batista – The Latinos in the USA Market

I knew before this talk that Hispanics have had a big impact on the US however this really amplified for me the actual market that Latinos represent in the USA. Daniel who is co-founder and president of BESE understands perfectly where Latinos are now and where we are going. His talk made me rethink what I know about my community. Now, I see Latinos as a big field of opportunities where everyone can find his/her new place.

2. Ray Pifferrer – The Imposter Syndrome

Ray is a Leadership Coach that not only explained the Imposter Syndrome but also gave us a plan to address it.

The Imposter Syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts his/her accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. So, how to address this syndrome? Ray gave us 4 lessons:

Focus on the road, not on the destination – There are many things that you and your team are doing to complete a project, in some cases, give this road the value it deserves.

Evaluate from a neutral perspective – If you are going to be tough with yourself why not to have a neutral way to assess yourself?

Create a personal definition of success – Success is different for everyone, use it, define it for you and use it as a tool, not as a weapon.

Get along with your success!! – Break paradigms! enjoy your success! enjoy who you are and celebrate where you are going!

So what is next? I have my experiences and a bunch of great professional connections from this summit. After Latinx in Tech 2018 summit, I know that I am part of this group and we are here to share our experience and make this world a better place. In terms of connections, I was able to meet a fellow Latinx in Tech that is building an app to help people that have no access to health services, often a challenge in our community. Latinx was there for me, for us, to make professional links that can help us reach our goals and our company’s goals. Latinx in Tech 2018 made me feel that I am not alone in reaching my goals but there are many more that are with me.

Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States represent $2.13 trillion in GDP, more than Italy, India or even Canada. Out there we have a market waiting for us. We have to take those opportunities and transform them into businesses and success stories. We need to make connections that help things happen right now and accelerate the future. We must transform disadvantages into advantages for you, for me, for the one that wants to take them.

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